Dr. Shane Considine:

That happened approximately two weeks ago at an IMO industrial relations meeting. I echo Deputy Mattie McGrath's words: we are forced to work these hours. Colleagues from other fields often ask why I do not simply leave at the end of a day but as a doctor I have a duty of care to my patients. If I have a patient who is unwell at 5 p.m., I do not leave. I must ensure that my patient is appropriately looked after. That is my priority and it will continue to be my priority.

I welcome the clock-in and clock-out system. I have worked in a hospital where it was implemented rather successfully. However, it is clear that this system records hours but it does not necessarily ensure that these hours are within the documented limits as per our contracts and as per the recommendations of the European working time directive. Anyway, it means those in the human resources department have an objective and clear record of exactly how many hours each doctor is working but they are completely ignoring these records in the vast majority of cases.